Time for challenging the IEBC gazetted proposed constituencies and wards under which the next general elections will be held is running out. If you are aggrieved go to court or keep your peace for the next eight years.

Written by West Fm2012-03-23 09:24:00Read 2239 Times

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) did on 9th March, 2012 publish in the local print media the final list of the Parliamentary Constituencies and Wards electoral units that will complete the elective offices political map of the Republic of Kenya in the next General Elections. That political map of the elective offices that will be up for grabs in the next General Elections will only next be reviewed after eight years meaning by the year 2019 in accordance with Article 89 of the Constitution.

Article 89 of the Constitution further permits those dissatisfied with any of the IEBC final delimitation of those Parliamentary Constituencies and Wards Electoral Units published in the Kenya Gazette on 7th March, 2012 to apply for review of the IEBC decisions to the High Court within 30 days of the date of the publication in the Kenya Gazette.

It is not enough for anybody to now grumble, complain, hold demonstrations, protests, address the media about the names and details of the boundaries of the Constituencies and Wards as gazetted by the IEBC. The Constitution says that if you have any grievances then channel them to the High Court within 30 days of 7th March, 2012 and then the High Court will listen to your case, your arguments and those of the IEBC and determine whether to agree with your arguments as to how the names or details of composition of the boundaries of that Constituency or Ward shall be and the decision of the High Court shall override the IEBC decision.

It will be impunity of the highest order and criminal for anybody, whether an individual, a clan or any other unit of electors to be heard after the lapse of the thirty (30) days provided for challenging new parliamentary Constituencies and Wards created by the IEBC and without them having challenged those new boundaries to complain of marginalization, unfairness, inequity, unjustness in the new map of delimited Constituencies and Wards of Kenya. Yes, all Kenyan electors and political institutions will once the High Court and any other appellate court has decided on the boundaries for Constituencies and Ward that will have been the subject of contest be obliged to keep their peace and live with those electoral units for the next eight years.

West fm states that it is imperative that the question of electoral Constituencies and Wards are completed and those who have any grievances had them adjudicated as per the Constitution to pave the way for the next General Election. The electoral units ultimately determine the share of political power and resource allocations that go with them from the National Budget and it is critical that the people of Western Kenya and North Rift satisfy themselves that yes they are receiving a fair share of that National Cake as per the Constitution.

The delimitation of Constituency and Ward boundaries is not only the business of the politicians but of each and every elected voter in Kenya. It is of the highest importance that all voters in the region understand the importance of the electoral boundaries for Constituencies and Wards as that is the real political playing field on which the next General Elections and the subsequent one shall be played. After the completion of the delimitation of boundaries of Constituencies and Wards the next major building blocks for the next General Election will be voter registration and civic education.

So let those who wish to challenge the names and details of the boundaries of Constituencies and Wards gazetted on 7th March, 2012 and in the Western Province and North Rift file their Constitutional Applications before 6th April, 2012 or keep their peace until after 8 years when the Constitution allows them to agitate for any changes to those electoral units.